Insights Into Christian Esotericism

by René Guénon

The present volume discusses Christian initiation and various esoteric organizations, with special reference to Dante, as well as a study of St Bernard.

Genres: Philosophy, Christianity, Religion, Metaphysics, Mysticism

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

René Guénon (1886-1951) was a French author and intellectual who remains an influential figure in the domain of sacred science,traditional studies, symbolism and initiation.

French biography : http://arlesquint.free.fr/rene%20guen...
http://www.index-rene-guenon.org/

Reviews

[no.stache.nietzsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some later essays by Guenon, mostly in the form of longer book reviews. The first sections are more stuff on Dante and Fedli d'Amore, specifically responding to a text published at the time on the topic- these were fairly interesting for us, though mostly in the way that Guenon reiterated his more characteristic points in responding to the text he is critiquing. The later portions were on the grail legends, and these were of more interest to us- probably the best statements on the Holy Grail topic that Guenon wrote, perhaps more comprehensive than those in Symbols of Sacred Science.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delvis intressant, synnerligen nedlåtande, och svepande. Det är definitivt den bästa Guenon jag läst så långt, vilket i och för sig inte säger så mycket; det hjälper att jag behärskar delar av materialet som beskrivs. Jag kommer att kolla upp de andra referenserna.

[Emre Tarduş · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bazı konular için spesifik bir dikkat talep ediyor, bu kimi okur için iyiyken kimi okur için de uygunsuz. René Guenon'u okumama sebep olan özelliklerinden birinin de belirli bir üslup dünyasının dışına çıkmış olması olduğunu söylersek, benim için uygunsuz yanları da olduğu daha iyi anlaşılacaktır. Yine de bir kitabın talepkar olması fikri de hoşuma gidiyor. Onun dışında ilk üç makeleyi ilgi çekici bulduğumu söyleyebilirim.

[OSCAR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un texto denso, que creo pudo haber sido más exhaustivo. Sin embargo, reconozco que el autor trató de mostrar que el cristianismo tenía una tradición esotérica válida y para mí, esa cuestión representa un problema cuasi existencial.

Ciertamente el texto de Guenon resulta una mera introducción, sin embargo, considero que no perdí el tiempo leyendo este opúsculo.

[Javier · Rating 3 out of 5]

He aquí un conjunto de artículos publicados por el gran René Guénon, en defensa del carácter tradicional del Cristianismo. Un título que, si bien menor en el repertorio de su autor, tiene gran mérito y mucho "jugo" para sacar, a pesar de la extrema densidad que puede alcanzar el texto en cierto momento.

[Tvrtko Balić · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I am being too harsh with this review, but as I mentioned in my review of Insights Into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism, Guenon does not hold up to scrutiny, reading him can be like listening to ramblings of an old Sheikh, but he has no concern for modern convention and would probably be happy with me describing him this way. Speaking of which, that book was very useful for understanding this one. Insights Into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism focuses on Guenon's distinction between an exoteric and an esoteric (as he understands these terms) aspect of a given tradition. This perspective on tradition is then central to this discussion, not only because esoterism is in the title here, but also because a lot of the book is a criticism of Christianity and this criticism relies on understanding of religious tradition as consisting of an exoteric and esoteric aspect. According to Guenon, Christianity is lacking compared to other religions. Concerning the exoteric aspect, Christianity lacks originality here and lacks connection with its spiritual predecessors (Judaism). Instead societies where Christianity established itself continued the exoteric, governing, law making aspect of previous religions, mainly of Roman society, tradition and religion. Esoteric aspect isn't much better. A lot of what initially had greater esoteric importance become mundane religiosity and so a lot of ancient traditional wisdom was lost. Initiation rights and deeper spiritual thought were more preserved in the priesthood, but even there focus on esoteric aspect and when people wanted to focus more on it, through mystical practices or establishment of orders, it was more through innovation than tradition which Guenon of course sees as negative. He does point out, however that Eastern Christianity is in better condition through maintenance of practices such as hesychasm, even not considering things in the West like further schisms. Through the book he also talks about mystical aspect of either dogma or of folk beliefs, but he sees both as remnants of older traditions which means they have value, but are also a reflection of a sad state of the religion, being a corruption of something older. I thought this was good or at least extremely interesting criticism and it really made me think about the nature of Christianity. But it is mainly focused in the first half. The second half of the book is more rambly and discusses various things in Christianity through the lens which was carved in the first half of the book. So I very much enjoyed this book and think there's a lot of things of value, but there is room for criticism, most of it carrying over from "Insights Into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism", and the second half just being less enjoyable, especially compared to the groundbreaking first half, brings it down a star.

[Ook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Removes much ambiguity in relation to the history of Christians and their esoteric activity. However, it doesn't clear up many metaphysical ideas or the esoteric aspects of many Christian symbols or rites, aside from the grail and cross, etc.

There is a strange total lack of any mention of Martinism--strange due to the fact that Mr. Guénon was a member of Christian Gnostic and Martinist circles for a rather long time. Perhaps, due to his lack of autobiographical material, it is that he believed these circles (to an extent) degenerations of real esoterism? A critique of some of the UR Group's member made was that Martinism really (as they show through many of its adherents) a distrust and even hatred of the Pythagorean esoteric current, in all of its forms, even the truly Traditional and those initiatic.

Guénon alludes to his Esoterism of Dante and Symbolism of the Cross as holding some other strongly Christian studies, but they seems, at least with the work on Dante, continue the Knights of the Rose esoteric group (a group holding very amicable relations between both Sufi Muslims and Italian Catholics) and the other trends in Italian symbolism.

[شاهنشاه‎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Avant de lire ce livre il serait souhaitable d'avoir déjà lu ces livres du même auteur :

Le Roi du Monde, La Crise du Monde Moderne, Le Règne de la Quantité, et L'Orient et L'Occident. ("L’Ésotérisme de Dante" serait aussi fort recommandé).

Ce bouquin n'est en aucun cas une bonne introduction à l’œuvre de René Guénon. En tout, c'est une collection d'articles qu'il avait écrits à propos de l'ésotérisme chrétien, les langues sacrées, etc. On parle un peu des Templiers, beaucoup de Dante et aussi du Saint Graal (et ses origines partiellement celtiques). Ce dernier thème est, du moins pour moi, extrêmement intéressant. Dans ce livre on peut trouver bien des idées intéressantes et de domaines de recherche potentiels. Mais il faut dire que ce bouquin est bien court. L'auteur traite sur beaucoup de thèmes intéressants mais il est au lecteur de poursuivre ses thèmes dans les autres grands livres de l'œuvre de Guénon et aussi ailleurs.

Très intéressant mais, comme je l'ai dit, ce livre serait une très mauvaise introduction à Guénon.

[aaaabbbbbb aaaabbbbbb · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is biased because of ignorance as to many of the texts that this book engages with, but reading it with an empty (clear) mind left me feeling as if Guenon was indulging in the same lines of dialectic indulgence as a few of the authors he was criticizing, but I guess that's the only mode of open conversation about esoteric secrets.

[Jacob Fraser · Rating 3 out of 5]

his take on Christian sacraments not being initiatic is correct from the the perspective of Protestantism which probably wasn't his intention, as it is faith-election that is initiatic and only then do the sacraments become means of grace, which coincides with his assertion that initiation was gradually lost of which Luther's 'babylonian captivity of the church' compliments.

[Eduardo Costa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pouco sobre a temática em si. O foco é mais no esoterismo de Dante, ou nas suas intenções nos seus livros. E, também, na refutação de algumas opiniões equivocadas sobre Dante e o seu esoterismo. Porém, a parte final sobre o santo graal é boa e interessante.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le dernier chapitre sur le Graal était très intéressant. La majorité des chapitres sont cependant un peu décevants en ce qu'ils tiennent en des comptes-rendus de livres et donc manquent par nature de profondeur; ils contiennent toutefois quelques remarques illuminantes.

[Y · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guenon discusses some of the unique aspects of Christianity as compared to eastern religions, including its sacred symbols, language and the syncretic appendages bolted on from Rome. The more esoteric topics are the chivalric orders and the grail myth. Much of the book is spent covering Dante, Guenon admires.